Many people who left Europe and found their way to Hollywood through the 1930's were often persuaded by immigration officers, studio heads and often just plain common sense to change their names to be more user friendly in lights on a marquee or in credits... Let's start with MGM... Samuel Goldwyn (the G in MGM) started his life in Poland as Schmuel Gelbfisz and on his arrival in the United States changed it to the literal americanized translation of his name to Samuel Goldfish... It really does not have the same ring to it if it were Metro Goldfish Mayer would it?
Here are some of the other notable name changes through Hollywood history...
Norma Jean Mortenson--- Marilyn Monroe
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV--- Tom Cruise
Allen Stewart Konigsberg--- Woody Allen
Marion Morrison--- John Wayne
Bernard Swhwartz--- Tony Curtis
Some people simply abbreviated or dropped part of the name...
Ethel Zimmerman--- Ethel Merman
Frederick Austerlitz--- Fred Astaire
Clinton Eastwood--- Clint Eastwood
James Baumgarner--- James Garner
Walter Matuschanskayasky--- Walter Matthau
Leo Jacoby--- Lee J Cobb
Catherine Jones added Zeta to her name before marrying Michael Delany Down Jr. (Michael Douglas) son of Issur Danielovitch (Kirk Douglas)
Mel Columcille Gerrard Gibson just dropped his middle names to become Mel Gibson...
Eldred Gregory Peck did the same thing... and Jennifer Anastassakis simply abbreviated to become Jennifer Aniston.
Hulk Hogan had second thoughts about the ring of Terry Jene Bollea and Virginia McMath thought Ginger Rogers had a little more kick....
Whoppi Goldberg--- Caryn Johnson
Rita Hayworth--- Margarita Cansino
Red Buttons--- Aaron Chwatt
Michael Caine--- Maurice Micklewhite
Lauren Bacall--- Betty Joan Perske
Judy Garland--- Frances Gumm
Joaquin Phoenix--- Joaquin Rafael Bottom (he might have been very popular in a gay bar)
James Dean--- Seth Ward
Edward G Robinson--- Emmanuel Goldenberg
Doris Day--- Doris von Kappelhoff
Demi Moore--- Dametria Gene Guynes
Bruce Willis--- Walter Willison
Cyd Charisse--- Tula Ellice Finklea
Ben Kingsley--- Krishana Banji
Anne Bancroft--- Anna-Maria Louisa Italiano (I mean really?!*)
and my absolute favorite that sounds like a made up Hollywood name Lucille LeSueur became Joan Crawford.
I think there was a time in the United States especially in Hollywood and now maybe everywhere when anything that sounds too Jewish or too ethnic or exotic or just too different just does not work as well to brand yourself with a positive public image and the all important Q Ratings... what amazes me about this is when you consider that Donald Trump's name would actually be Donald Drumpf had it not been changed generations ago and yet with all this he is still so... well you know!
Although I'm not a big fan of the television show Dancing With The Stars... I was touched by the book "I'll Never Change My Name: An Immigrants Dream From The Ukraine To The USA To Dancing With The Stars" by Valentin Chmerkovskiy... I would never in a million years tell someone that they should change their name (Some of the most interesting people I know still have very interesting names)... but I once thought early on that Jane Kaczmarek might have problems... obviously she did not encounter any that she could overcome... but someone once moving to Italy to model asked me and I said... "Italians can mangle almost any non-italian name and your name is not that easy to pronounce... my advice is change it to something a little more simple (and yet still you) will most likely make your working and maybe your social life in Milan a little easier"... he thanked me for the good advice after he came back but returned to using his family name because it meant so much to him... This whole name changing business is a very personal thing and something that should not be taken lightly and deserves to be given a lot of thought and consideration ... my reason was mostly professional but also because... I hated my name... and I think the psychological side effects of a disliked name are equal to living in a hated home... trust me I have experience with both.
OK I have a confession... one of my guilty pleasures are People and Us magazine and I usually only indulge during air travel, doctors waiting rooms and hair and nail salons... So... recently
So while I was waiting to get my flu shot I perused a few back issues of Us Weekly in the waiting room and in the exam room and learned a little bit about a few people because they have a feature called 25 Things You Don't Know About Me... so without further ado...
1. I hate texting I would rather talk to you in person but failing that I prefer hearing your voice on the telephone or on my voice mail...there are certain nuances to more direct communication.
2. I was a lifeguard for some of the water events at the 1984 LA Olympic games.
3. I'm always on time... I think it's disrespectful to the people you are meeting to keep them waiting.
4. I'm a neat freak... I think the world can be so chaotic at times that it's calming for me to have my life in order at home.
5. I'm a list maker... I have achieved most of my dreams and goals in life and it's helped me to make lists and jot down ideas and to have a place to make a new plan when the old one needs reworking.
6. I love popcorn... I have it almost every day!
7. I'm an excellent driver... I have never gotten a ticket (except for parking)
8. I have worked as a stunt man in film and done some impressive vocal doubling in music.
9. My favorite color is turquoise blue... my second favorite is aquamarine... yes there is a difference.
10. Downhill skiing is my favorite sport to participate in, followed by diving, surfing and tennis.
11. I used to be an excellent gymnast.
12. I would rather have a simple home that I could take care of easily myself than live in a mansion with servants.
13. I love to read and prefer actual books and news papers and magazines to downloading something on a device.
14. I love the way the dining room table looks after a magnificent meal and a few bottles of wine with good friends and a great conversation.
15. I would rather cook a fine meal at home than eat in a fancy restaurant.
16. If I have trouble sleeping I revisit a place in time that had some happy significance for me and relive the the experiences and conversations. (it's much better than dwelling on the negative past)
17. If you tell me a secret and tell me not to tell anyone I won't. (if you have been reading the whole time since I started this you already know that)
18. If I had to choose between a week in Las Vegas or a week at Martha's Vineyard... I pick Gay Head Beach on the southwest corner of the island.
19. I love card games... Bridge is my favorite but a good Gin Rummy game is always fun in a pinch.
20. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite because I like to doll it up with things like marshmallow fluff, walnuts and maple syrup and salt.
21. I like going to movie or theatre matinees on a whim at the spur of the minute.
22. I consider eight hours of sleep a necessity otherwise lack of sleep shows on my face and people think I'm either angry and/or sad.
23. I consider true love, real friendships and my health the most treasured accomplishments of my life.
24. I wish I had taken better care of my teeth.
25. I'm truly an optimist because no matter what has happened to me in the past and what is going on in the world right now I deep down believe that....
Oh and BTW I also like pina coladas and walks in the rain and the feel of the ocean and the taste of Champagne!... See you in two weeks!
OK I have a confession... one of my guilty pleasures are People and Us magazine and I usually only indulge during air travel, doctors waiting rooms and hair and nail salons... So... recently
1. I hate texting I would rather talk to you in person but failing that I prefer hearing your voice on the telephone or on my voice mail...there are certain nuances to more direct communication.
2. I was a lifeguard for some of the water events at the 1984 LA Olympic games.
3. I'm always on time... I think it's disrespectful to the people you are meeting to keep them waiting.
4. I'm a neat freak... I think the world can be so chaotic at times that it's calming for me to have my life in order at home.
5. I'm a list maker... I have achieved most of my dreams and goals in life and it's helped me to make lists and jot down ideas and to have a place to make a new plan when the old one needs reworking.
6. I love popcorn... I have it almost every day!
7. I'm an excellent driver... I have never gotten a ticket (except for parking)
8. I have worked as a stunt man in film and done some impressive vocal doubling in music.
9. My favorite color is turquoise blue... my second favorite is aquamarine... yes there is a difference.
10. Downhill skiing is my favorite sport to participate in, followed by diving, surfing and tennis.
11. I used to be an excellent gymnast.
12. I would rather have a simple home that I could take care of easily myself than live in a mansion with servants.
13. I love to read and prefer actual books and news papers and magazines to downloading something on a device.
14. I love the way the dining room table looks after a magnificent meal and a few bottles of wine with good friends and a great conversation.
15. I would rather cook a fine meal at home than eat in a fancy restaurant.
16. If I have trouble sleeping I revisit a place in time that had some happy significance for me and relive the the experiences and conversations. (it's much better than dwelling on the negative past)
17. If you tell me a secret and tell me not to tell anyone I won't. (if you have been reading the whole time since I started this you already know that)
18. If I had to choose between a week in Las Vegas or a week at Martha's Vineyard... I pick Gay Head Beach on the southwest corner of the island.
19. I love card games... Bridge is my favorite but a good Gin Rummy game is always fun in a pinch.
20. Vanilla ice cream is my favorite because I like to doll it up with things like marshmallow fluff, walnuts and maple syrup and salt.
21. I like going to movie or theatre matinees on a whim at the spur of the minute.
22. I consider eight hours of sleep a necessity otherwise lack of sleep shows on my face and people think I'm either angry and/or sad.
23. I consider true love, real friendships and my health the most treasured accomplishments of my life.
24. I wish I had taken better care of my teeth.
25. I'm truly an optimist because no matter what has happened to me in the past and what is going on in the world right now I deep down believe that....
Oh and BTW I also like pina coladas and walks in the rain and the feel of the ocean and the taste of Champagne!... See you in two weeks!
